Music Madness: Indie Rock

A 2 days belated music post but nevertheless MUSIC! So the spotlight today is... -drum roll-...

INDIE ROCK

I have no clue why but since last week, I have been really into Indie Rock. It's such a diverse and awesome genre.

Metric

Metric is a Canadian Indie Rock band. I actually first heard about them when I watched Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with Beth and Erin a few years back. If you haven't seen the movie, you are missing out big time. Anyway, their song, Black Sheep, was featured in the movie. Although Brie Larson sang it instead. I love the song so much so that I listened to Larson's version for ages, since I didn't know Metric originally sang it, until I got the soundtrack. When I got the soundtrack, I immediately listened to Metric's version. If there is any way for me to love the song more, it's listening to Metric's version. Emily Haines sang it to perfection. I actually way prefer the original version compared to the movie version. 

Another song I absolutely adore by Metric is Gimme Sympathy. I can replay this song over and over and over again and not get bored.

I have to admit that Metric is really what got me into Indie Rock music. So a BIG thumbs up to them. Also check out some of their other songs. You won't be disappointed.

Stars

Before I even say anything about Stars... listen and prepare to fall heads over heels with this song, completely in love. I DO MEAN absolutely in love.



Now that you are in love, I shall begin. Stars is a Canadian Indie Pop band. They are amazing. I think you get my drift about their awesomeness. Their songs have featured in quite a few dramas. Sadly, I don't watch any the dramas that their songs are featured in. However, Dead Hearts was probably most popularly on Like Crazy. I haven't seen the movie either but I still love this song. I serious need to get their albums instead of going on Youtube all the time, espeically The North. Other stunning songs:

• Fixed
• The Theory of Relativity
• Ageless Beauty
• Your Ex-Love Is Dead
• Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It
• Backlines

If you have heard of Stars and love their music, I love you. You are awesome.

Bon Iver

Bon Iver is an American Indie Folk band. They have an won a Grammy. That is the extent of their awesomeness. I especially adore Skinny Love but I am pretty sure everyone know this song. And this band. So, I don't need to say more about them. All their songs are quality good music.

Metric, Stars and Bon Iver produce good music. When you find and love good music, you will be as happy as I am. Hope you enjoy and love the music like I do~

Music Madness Monday: Swedish House Mafia, The Band Perry & Alex Clare

Hello cosy dreamers! I am currently hugging a hot water bottle tightly and try to keep warm as I freeze to death. Since it started snowing again in the UK last night, it's been awfully cold. I can barely feel my toes. But I am warming up. So it's all good. 

Anyhow, I need to apologize that I will have to postpone the East Asian Music favourites of 2012 post to next week. I am sorry but I have been super busy with school so I haven't got the chance to really look through it yet. However, I still have good music favourites for you this week. It's only 3 singles but they are awesome. 

Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia (feat. John Martin) 

I have no idea why I didn't like Swedish House Mafia before. They are actually really cool. I love this song. The lyrics are really meaningful in my opinion. Check it out! 

If I Die Young by The Band Perry

The title of the song sounds a little depressing. Just a little. But the song is great. I just discovered it a few days ago, but I have been listening to it on replay again and again. 

Too Close by Alex Clare 

There was this line that was stuck in my head real bad and I just couldn't figure out which song it was from. The line: "Which way is right, which way is wrong. How do I say that I need to move on?" I just love this line. Anyway, I kept singing the same line over and over again for like 5 minutes by which point Erin noticed and was like: I know what song that is! Then she told me and I was like: OH YEAH! I really like this song. Erin actually recommended me to get Alex Clare's entire album because apparently it is brilliant. I haven't checked it out yet, but I definitely will. 

That is all. Hope you have a lovely week~ 

Music Madness: (Some) Best of 2012!

Hello Sleepy Dreamers!

Sorry for the late post. Yesterday was my last day of holiday and I am now officially switched off from holiday mode, which is depressing. School started today and it’s not pretty. I already have a ridiculous amount of homework. It’s slowly killing me, which I am sure would kill anyone. It’s only the first day back! Anyway, enough of my boring rant and onto music! I decided to do this eye-candy style (again) because 1. It’s pretty and 2. It’s easier than writing it. These are some of my favourites from 2012, totally check them out if you haven’t, I can guarantee you will like some of them. If you are a girl who plays a song you like 100 times, then you are exactly like me. I can put a song I like on replay forever. My favourites also mean I have listened to them countless times. I have quite a particular taste in music but still, hope you like them!  

                           
                          

                             

East Asian Music favourites of 2012 are coming next week, so please look forward to it! 

Christmas Eve Music Madness & Questionnaire

Hello Christmasy and Sparkly Dreamers! 

Yes, it's Christmas Eve! I am excited for Christmas tomorrow. Okay, maybe not that much. My dad is really ill at the moment so I doubt I am having a fantastic Christmas dinner tomorrow. But that's not going to break my spirit! 

Before I start the little questionnaire (@ Amarixe)... because it's Christmas Eve, if anyone asked me if I believe in Santa? HELLYEAH! Who doesn't?! 

1.) Mood:

I am not sure. I think it's a mix of hungry, CHRISTMAS and boredom. 

2.) Which is your favourite holiday to celebrate?

It's close between Christmas or New Year's Day. Christmas is brilliant because everyone is so into the spirit and it's beautiful everywhere with decorations. But New Year's Day is also awesome because it celebrates a New Year. 

3.) Who do you typically spend your favourite holiday with?

Ma famille (Sorry, just had to go French) - Mum, Dad, Sister

4.) Current nail polish(es):

Oh gosh! Okay, I am girl who is crazy with nail polishes as I have said before. So here's the list:

• GOSH - Forest Floor

• China Glaze - Ruby Deer

• China Glaze - Phat Santa

• China Glaze - Fairy Dust

• Color Club - Perfect Mol-Ten

• Silver Crackle

5.) Holiday shopping: do you get it done early or leave it until the last minute?

I am definitely a do-it-early person. I get presents ages in advance, usually. This year, I got most things at the last minute and I still have to get my two bessies their presents, but we agreed to give afterwards because of our awful mock exams which took like a month off my timetable. 

6.) Current outfit:

• Skelanimals long-sleeve t-shirt. It has a sequinned and sparkly Jack on it. Skelanimals are awesome and adorable

• cream Animal hoodie

• Purple skinnys

• FLUFFY SOCKS! AND THEY ARE PINK!

7.) Holiday gifts: do you enjoy giving or receiving gifts more?

Definitely giving presents. I love to see people's happy faces when they open their surprises. Seeing people's surprise faces are the best! It's priceless! 

8.) What is your favourite holiday tradition?

I don't think my family has one! -sadface- I wish I have one, but I don't. 

9.) What is your favourite holiday treat?

Apple pie with cornish ice-cream. Lots of hot chocolate with 4x the cream on top. 

10.) Weekly goals:

To enjoy spending time with my family and reading (currently back into that) 

Since it's Christmas Eve and I promised that I would have Christmasy music favourites today... Enjoy!

I love Medleys. So let's have a good festive one!



Sorry, I don't like Justin Bieber. He just ruins the song. This cover is so much better! At least it does the song some justice.



Winter Wonderland is a Christmas song for everyone and everyone needs a little Michael Buble for Christmas.


Last but definitely not least... 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS! Okay, I admit I don't know any of the lyrics. But hey! Everyone loves 12 Days of Christmas! (Plus this version has lyrics! Yay!) My little sister and I tried to remember all 12 days and sing it really fast. We failed, and she cheated. 

Hope you are blasting the songs and having a lot of festive, holiday fun with your families.

Merry Christmas! 

Love, Ka-Ching xxx

Music Madness: 3 Covers. 2 Singles. 1 OST

I am very sorry for the 3 days late music post. I ended up spending the entirety of Monday watching chick flicks (rom com) with my mother. We watched Just Like Heaven and Kate & Leopold. They were both classic rom coms, I have no idea why I haven't seen it before. Then my internet went really spazzy, so I couldn't do anything. Well, it's better late than never!

3 Covers

Try by Pink



This is my favourite cover! Jayesslee are awesome and this cover is just beautiful.



I just really like it. Simple logic.



Her voice is just stunning.

2 Singles

Lovebird by Leona Lewis

I heard this on the radio a few days ago, googled it and realised it was Leona Lewis and I LOVE IT! It's such a pretty song. The video is also amazing. Her voice has just improve so much and the song is lovely. Totally check it out. I attempted to sing this. I failed, miserably. 

Troublemaker by Olly Murs feat. Flo Rida

This song is so cheesy but I had it stuck in my head for days. It's so catchy! The chrous is awesome. Since I am not much of a rap person, I did not like Flo Rida's part. Sorry for all those Flo Rida fans out there, I don't like him. But Olly Murs was brilliant in this song. 

1 OST

Cups - Pitch Perfect (Anna Kendrick)



Pitch Perfect was my music post last Monday. Yes, I adore this movie. It's flipping awesome. My little sister would agree with me. Cups (You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone) by Anna Kendrick is just fantastic! I think she might even be one of my favourite actresses. Her voice is amazing and the song is so easy to sing. But putting it together with the cup trick is hard. Yes, I have tried and failed. 

P.S. Christmasy music favourites are coming next Monday, on Christmas Eve! 

P.P.S Can't you wait until tomorrow? It's 21.12.12! 

Movie? Madness Monday: Pitch Perfect

Yeah yeah, it's Monday and it's suppose to be music. But I haven't really been music-ing that much for the past week and I thought: well, movie begins with a M. I know film is better? I like movie though, they mean the same thing. So, since I watched a movie on Saturday and it was great and I don't have any music things to say...... new segment! and yes, it's called Movie Madness Monday. Actually, less of a new segment and more of Madness Monday can swap between movie and music. 

Pitch Perfect

#GETPITCHSLAPPED

Release: 2012

Genre: Music, Comedy, Romance

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp

Storyline: The Barden Bellas are a collegiate, all-girls a cappella singing group thriving on female pop songs and their perfect looks. After a disastrous failing at last year's finals, they are forced to regroup. Among the new recruits is freshman Beca, an independent, aspiring DJ with no interest in the college life. But after she meets Jesse, from the rival all-male a cappella group, Beca has a new outlook and takes it upon herself to help the Bellas find their new look and sound and get back into the competition.

This movie is so random and strange but oddly hilarious. I actually had a great time watching this. Although it was predictable, it was overall very enjoyable. The predictable aspect maybe due to the fact that I have seen a lot of rom-com and they get VERY predictable since they are all the same. Like the plot line goes:

Normal--Increase in happiness--PEAK--Decrease by 30%--Goes back up and TADA! Happily every after

It's probably easier to understand if you draw a line on a graph, but I am too lazy to bother with that. 

Beca and Jesse in the movie were just so cute! I was awwww-ing at the end cos it was adorable. Watch it, then you would know what I mean. 

I loved Anna Kendrick in it. I didn't know she can sing, and she was really good! I like her normally but the character and her was such a good match, she did an amazing job. I feel like I haven't seen Brittany Snow in a movie in ages. That is probably just me but she was great. Not really used to her with the browny hair though. 

Awesomeness: Singing. Hilarious. Just odd.

Not-so-awesomeness: Predictable. Weird and awkward.

Rating: 7.8 / 10

Guess what? YOU JUST GOT INCEPTIONED! Sorry, that was a bit dramatic. But seriously, I said I changed it to movie but the movie is about music! HA! I am just so awesome like this.

Music Madness Monday: Ailee and J-Min

Where I live is so cold right now, so I am sipping my lovely and hot apple tea while enjoying music. And of course, eating some delicious Belgian waffles with Nutella which is like Heaven on a plate. No jokes.  

I am a huge fan of K-Pop. I even wrote an English essay at school about K-Pop. Yes, I was a fan before Gangnam Style took over the world. I prefer K-Pop relating more to bands and groups. Sadly, I don't know a single word in Korean, apart from saying Hello.

Ailee

First thing first, she is so pretty! That is just my opinion but I really do think she is very sweet and talented. 

She made her debut back in February with Heaven.  

Heaven is just gorgeous! 

1. Her singing is amazing. Her voice is beautiful. Absolutely talented girl.
2. The song itself is beautiful. I can put it on replay for like... forever. 
3. The music video: so awesome! The entire aura of the video was very clean and pure, but also with a hint of sadness, which is most likely given by the story of the music video. (The story makes everyone cry like a baby at the end) But but but.... There was Korean-looking Jesus! Come on! How can you not go wow when you see Korean-looking Jesus?! (Check it out)

Her debut single was followed by another brilliant song, I'll show you. This song had a lot more Pop and dancing and in my opinion, the fast bits of the song took away the beauty of her voice. However, the slow bit at the start is so pretty. I wish that it can be slow all the way through, but that might just be me loving sad and slow music. This song was more "mainstream" than  her debut single. (American accent): Man! That girl can dance! 

Living in Britain makes it so hard to get my hand on ANY East Asian music. However, I am determined that I will get her mini album, Invitation. 

J-Min

J-Min is a singer/songwriter who is active under both Japanese and Korean labels. I like her a lot since her songs are a lot more rock influenced and less of the cheesey pop music that you get these days. I am not much of a chart music girl. If I like a song, that's because I like it and not because it's been on the charts. 

Stand Up is an awesome song. It's one of the soundtracks for To The Beautiful You, which is like the 4th TV adaptation of Hana Kimi. I am still debating whether to watch it or not, because Hana Kimi's story is a bit overused. Anyway, back to the song. The music video is awesome. It has that forest feeling to it which I am loving. Anything that can remind me of fairytales, I will love it! 

Now you know that I love K-Pop, be sure to stay tuned. There is going to be more East Asian music coming along. 

Music Madness Monday: Hey There Kelly

So... I am drinking a cup of nice, hot chicken and vegetable soup with a comfy pink blanket wrapped around me and typing away at my laptop. This is the life. :3

I think I should explain the title. I am incredibly bored right now and I was messing with the two songs in this post today. The title just sort of happened. You will see why... it's suppose to be funny. Not sure if it worked. 

My friend, Erin, linked me to Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's a few weeks ago. She was going on about how sweet it would be if a guy sang it to her. (She is a bit of a hopeless romantic) Surprisingly, it's a great song! I love this song. It's very sweet and the melody is very catchy. I had it stuck in my head for several days. Apparently not many people have heard of it and I was like... I have heard it before! Which might mean I am weird. 

Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson. I saw her on The Ellen Show a few days ago (I LOVE THE ELLEN SHOW, but I will talk about that some other time). She is brilliant! I love this song. Especially her long dress in the music video was stunning! I was blasting it all day yesterday and then it came on the radio. It just made my day. I am those sort of girl who, when she loves a particular song, replay it all day long. 

That is all. Byebye~

P.S. I started doing I Giorni on my own! It's actually not that difficult. It's a beautiful song. I am already half way through, so I am super proud. woo! 

Music Madness Monday: Ludovico Einaudi

I feel really bad that I haven't done another blog post before this one, since the last one was on music as well. But I have been swamped with so much work and I am so so so tired. I am totally drained. I have been revising like crazy and doing so much work. So I hope I am forgiven.

Anyway, I have a peculiar way of helping me revise. I like listening to music when I work. I have a hard time concentrating, so I listen to more classical music to help myself concentrated in the revision. So, as you might have guessed, I have been listening to a lot of classical music. So the spotlight this time is...

Ludovico Einaudi

He is a genius! His music is absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful. I know that he is a Neoclassical musician, and not a classical one but oh well! But his music is so beautiful and poignant that I keep putting it on replay and shuffle. 

I ordered his "best of" piano sheet music so I can learn soon. So, YAY! (That is when I get my life back after all the work stop killing me.)

Just about every single one of his pieces are lovely, but I do have my favourites. and they are: 

• I Giorni
• Giorni dispari
• Oltremare
• Dietro Casa
• In Un'altra Vita
• Divenire

That is all. So... Sayonara! (Sayonara is my favourite way to say goodbye. It's sort of sad and beautiful at the same time.) 

Music Madness Monday: T-Swift, Maroon 5 & Aplin

Another segment! I know what you are thinking... YAY! I know right?! Every week, I have new music favourites which might be old or new. You never know. But MUSIC MADNESS!!! And yes, I will be kick-starting every week with music, because even if you don't want to admit it... Music = Life.

I know you will all be going: "She is SUCH a typical girl" but seriously, who doesn't love Taylor Swift? I have all her albums and love them so much! I listen to them all the time. So... I obviously loved her new album, Red. 

She is so beautiful! I love this cover. 

But I have my favourites. I love Red, the song which gave this album it's title, and I knew you were trouble. 

So, apart from going on about how much I love Taylor Swift and her beautiful song and lyrics, I have two more song favourites to shout out.

1.  One More Night by Maroon 5. Maroon 5 has always been totally awesome but this song was really good! The lyrics was sort of depressing but oh well! Who doesn't love a depressing song?! 

2. This one... I have just discovered today while I was on Youtube browsing music. It's called The Power of Love by Gabrielle Aplin. The song was beautiful, her voice was beautiful and the lyrics was so gorgeous! Totally go check her out. She is brilliant.

That is all for my first Music Madness Monday. This one has quite a lot in since it's the first one. Be sure to check those songs out. You will fall in love with them.